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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29389872">Piling Up</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunniesofDoom/pseuds/BunniesofDoom'>BunniesofDoom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Ruby Rose (RWBY) Needs a Hug, Spoilers: Volume 8 (RWBY), Volume 8 (RWBY)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:15:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29389872</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunniesofDoom/pseuds/BunniesofDoom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Mom?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna &amp; Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose &amp; Summer Rose, Ruby Rose &amp; Weiss Schnee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Piling Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Spoilers for episode 8 of volume 8 ahead. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ruby could really use a break. Her aura is down from the fight against the hound, Penny is still unresponsive, and using her silver eyes has left her feeling shaky and drained. Blake and Weiss look as exhausted as she feels, and Nora is still bedbound. Today feels like it's been one long string of disasters—although at least Whitley managed to divert some resources to Mantle, and they managed to get the backup generator working. Some minor successes, at least.</p>
<p>Still, they could use at least a couple hours to recover before anything else happens.</p>
<p>So, naturally, it isn't long before another hound shows up. Apparently, Salem isn't wasting any time looking for the Winter Maiden.</p>
<p>They're alerted to the Grimm's presence by a scream from Weiss' mom. Shortly after, Ruby's partner receives a message over the radio she's carrying. The white-haired girl sighs. "There's another hound in the manor."</p>
<p>They've just gotten Penny back up to Weiss' bedroom. Ruby stifles a sigh of her own, before straightening up and trying to look like she's not about to drop. "Blake and I will take care of it. Weiss, you make sure that the others are safe and out of the way."</p>
<p>Weiss bites her lip. "But Ruby, your aura is still drained from earlier. "Maybe you should stay behind?"</p>
<p>"No need," Ruby shakes her head, shooting Weiss what she hopes is a reassuring smile. "If I can just get it with my eyes again, this shouldn't take long. Plus, you're the one who knows the manor best, so you're the best one to get everyone to safety."</p>
<p>"I suppose." Weiss frowns. "You two be safe, okay?"</p>
<p>"You too," Blake replies quietly.</p>
<p>The radio that Weiss is holding buzzes again. "Mom says that it's approaching the front entrance."</p>
<p>"Right. Let's go, Blake."</p>
<p>Blake trails after Ruby as they make their way down the hall. "Are you sure you're up for this, Ruby? That fight earlier took a lot out of you."</p>
<p>"I'm sure," Ruby sighs. She tries not to snap at Blake; the older girl doesn't deserve to bear the brunt of her frustration just for being concerned. "You come around from one side and distract it, and I'll approach from the front. If I can get this right, it should be over with pretty quick." Blake nods, melting into the shadows.</p>
<p>Taking out this Hound with her silver eyes seems like a pretty big if, though. Her silver eye abilities are unreliable on a good day, let alone right after they just discovered that there was a person inside the Grimm they were fighting. A person with silver eyes. What if this Grimm is the same, with some poor soul trapped inside its twisted body, that they end up killing along with the Grimm?</p>
<p>What if all Grimm are the same way, just twisted and corrupted humans trapped inside a monstrous body? In their attempts to protect themselves, have they just been killing humans this whole time?</p>
<p>But what else can they do? Are they supposed to just sit back and let the Hound take Penny back to Salem, and doom all of Remnant by letting her get her hands on another set of Maiden Powers and the Staff of Creation?</p>
<p>Ruby has never liked these types of questions, the ones with shades of gray and difficult and complicated answers. These days, it doesn't feel like there are any good options. No matter what choice she makes, someone ends up getting hurt. More often than not, she ends up fighting with people instead of working together with them.</p>
<p>She never asked for this kind of responsibility.</p>
<p>As Ruby descends the stairs, she can barely make out the Grimm through the gloom. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts. Even with the power restored to the manor, any light from outside has been blotted out by a wave of inky blackness. She'll need to keep her wits about her for this fight.</p>
<p>The Hound notices her approach, turning so that it's directly facing her. If it had eyes, it would be staring her down. Ruby takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, trying to steel herself and focus and summon the powers that come with her silver eyes—and fails.</p>
<p>The Hound lumbers towards her, and Ruby stumbles back a few steps, muttering a couple words under her breath that Yang would smack her for using. How could things have fallen apart so quickly?</p>
<p>But given how today has gone, this just seems to fit the pattern. Just as the Grimm is about to swipe at her, Ruby spots a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. It's Blake, launching an attack on the Grimm and giving Ruby a chance to roll out the way. Once she's back on her feet, she steadies herself, Crescent Rose out and ready for battle—until the Grimm speaks.</p>
<p>"My baby," it croaks out. "I'm so sorry."</p>
<p>Its voice is hoarse and twisted, but Ruby still recognizes it all the same. "Mom?" she manages to choke out, freezing in place.</p>
<p>"My baby," the Hound says again. "I'm so sorry I left you, my baby girl."</p>
<p>"It's okay," Ruby murmurs. The hideous Grimm in front of her has been replaced with an image of her mother, smiling and beautiful and warm and welcoming. Ruby has missed her so much. "I understand. You didn't have a choice. I understand what you were fighting against, now." Somewhere behind her, she can hear Blake calling her name, but she ignores her. Can't she see that Ruby is busy?</p>
<p>Can't Ruby just have a moment with her mom, after all these years?</p>
<p>"I'm so proud of you," her mother says, and Ruby could weep with joy. She hadn't realized how long she's been waiting to hear those words. "My baby girl, all grown up and a huntress."</p>
<p>"Ruby!" Blake calls her name again, and Ruby huffs in irritation. Can't Blake see that she's busy right now?</p>
<p>"I'm sorry mom, it's so good to see you again—"</p>
<p>The illusion shatters when Blake tackles her. Suddenly, Ruby is lying on the floor, looking into the twisted face of the Hound. Her mother is gone. "Mom?" she says, her voice small.</p>
<p>"Ruby, it's not your mom," Blake says frantically. "Come on, snap out of it, it's just a Grimm! Please, you need to use your silver eyes to protect Penny, to protect all of us!"</p>
<p>"But—it sounded just like her," Ruby protests weakly. It had felt so real.</p>
<p>"My baby," the Hound croaks again, and for a moment Ruby is looking up into her mother's face. She realizes that she's holding onto Blake's arm hard enough to leave bruises, to try to keep her from attacking her mom.</p>
<p>"Blake, don't," Ruby pleads. Surely there must be something else they can do—</p>
<p>The Hound lunges. Her mothers face vanishes abruptly, and Ruby feels power surge within her. The room is suddenly illuminated by a flash of brilliant silver. When Ruby can finally force her eyes to focus again, she's looking into the crumbling, twisted face of Summer Rose.</p>
<p>She hears a horrified gasp from beside her. "Ruby, I'm so sorry."</p>
<p>Every part of her is screaming for her to look away, but she can't seem to tear her eyes away from the Hound as it crumbles to dust. "Ruby, are you okay?"</p>
<p>Blake tilts her chin up, and Ruby notices suddenly that her cheeks are damp. Her vision is becoming blurry, and tears are trickling down her face. "Blake—" she starts to say, before her voice breaks and she chokes on a sob.</p>
<p>A pair of arms wrap around her, pulling her close to Blake's chest. "I'm so sorry, Ruby. It's going to be okay, I promise."</p>
<p>Ruby just sobs harder. It doesn't feel like anything is going to be okay ever again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.</p>
<p>I might write a continuation of this at some point, if I ever get the inspiration. Just trying to get one more idea before the new episode comes out tomorrow, which I will be liveblogging on my blog fandomdabbles at some point. I know that this isn't going to happen, but I couldn't stop thinking about what if it did, so, there you go.</p>
<p>Just a reminder that I do take requests for fics, so if there's an idea that you'd like to see me write, feel free to message me and if I like it, I might end up writing something for it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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